The Fountain of Israel in Formation Text: Psalm 68:24-27
Introduction: Worship is Warfare
We live in an age that has domesticated worship. For many, it has become a private, internal, sentimental experience. It is something quiet, something respectable, something tame. It is a house cat. But the worship described in Scripture is not a house cat. It is a lion. It is a public, visible, triumphant procession. It is a victory parade. It is the sound of a kingdom advancing, and it is a declaration of war against the gates of Hell.
Psalm 68 is one of the great martial psalms. It begins with the ancient war cry of Israel, the very words Moses would speak when the Ark of the Covenant set out before the people: "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered." This is not the psalm of a people huddled in a quiet upper room, hoping the world will leave them alone. This is the song of a conquering army on the march, with God Himself leading the charge. The entire psalm is a picture of God's triumphant procession, leading His people from Sinai, through the wilderness, to victory in the promised land, and finally establishing His throne in Zion.
The modern church has largely forgotten this. We have traded the tambourine for the tasteful piano solo. We have traded the public procession for the private quiet time. We think of worship as a retreat from the world, when Scripture presents it as the primary means by which we engage and conquer the world. When God's people worship Him rightly, His glory is manifested, and that glory is a terrifying thing to His enemies. As we assemble before God, we are pleading with Him to rise up and vindicate His name. This is not a drill. This is the main event. What we do here, when we gather, is the central engine of all true cultural transformation.
In the verses before us, the psalmist gives us a snapshot of this glorious parade. We see the King in His sanctuary, surrounded by the joyful noise of His people. We see the ordered ranks of His worshippers, the tribes of Israel assembled as a unified fighting force. This is a picture of the church militant and triumphant, and it is a picture we desperately need to recover.
The Text
They have seen Your procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. The singers went on, the musicians after them, In the midst of the maidens beating tambourines. Bless God in the congregations, Yahweh, the fountain of Israel. There is Benjamin, the youngest, having dominion over them, The princes of Judah in their throng, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
(Psalm 68:24-27 LSB)
The Triumphant Procession (v. 24)
The scene opens with the watching world as witnesses to God's glory.
"They have seen Your procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary." (Psalm 68:24)
Notice who the audience is. "They have seen." Who are "they?" The enemies. The nations. The pagan world. True worship is never a private affair conducted in a corner. It is a public spectacle. It is a testimony. When God moves among His people, it is visible. The world is meant to look on in awe and wonder, and often, in terror. This is the procession, the stately march, of God Himself. He is not being carried like some dumb idol; He is leading the way.
The psalmist's language becomes personal and affectionate: "my God, my King." This is not some abstract deity, but the covenant Lord of Israel, the one who has personally claimed this people as His own. And where is He going? "Into the sanctuary." This is the culmination of the long march from Sinai. God is taking up His royal residence in Zion, in the midst of His people. This established a central place of worship, a capital city for the kingdom of God on earth. This procession into the sanctuary is a picture of God coming to dwell with man, a theme that finds its ultimate fulfillment when the Word became flesh and dwelt, or tabernacled, among us.
This public display is a direct challenge to the powers of this world. Every king has his procession, his displays of power and wealth. But this procession puts all others to shame. This is the King of kings, and His coming is not just a parade; it is an invasion. He is establishing His throne room, His command center, right in the heart of the world.
The Instruments of Praise (v. 25)
Next, we see the order and the joy of this worship.
"The singers went on, the musicians after them, In the midst of the maidens beating tambourines." (Psalm 68:25)
This is not a somber, silent affair. This is loud. This is joyful. This is exuberant. We have singers leading the way, their voices proclaiming the praises of God. We have musicians following with their instruments. And right in the middle, we have young women, maidens, beating tambourines. The tambourine was an instrument of celebration, often associated with victory and deliverance, as when Miriam led the women of Israel in dance after the crossing of the Red Sea.
This is structured, ordered worship. There is a "before" and an "after." It is not chaotic, not a free-for-all, but a well-ordered army on the march. But it is an order that makes room for explosive joy. Our worship should be the same. It should be thoughtful, structured, and reverent, yes. But it must also be joyful. A joyless Christian is a contradiction in terms, and joyless worship is an offense to the God who has given us every reason for gladness. We are commanded to rejoice, and this is what it looks like. It is a full-bodied, multi-sensory experience. It involves voices, instruments, rhythm, and movement.
The presence of the maidens in the midst of the procession is significant. It speaks to the participation of the whole community, men and women, young and old. Everyone has a part to play in this great work of praise. This is not a spectator sport. This is corporate, covenantal worship, where every member of the body is engaged.
The Source of Blessing (v. 26)
The procession prompts a corporate call to worship.
"Bless God in the congregations, Yahweh, the fountain of Israel." (Psalm 68:26)
The command goes out to all the gathered assemblies: "Bless God." To bless God is to speak well of Him, to praise Him for who He is and what He has done. This is the fundamental duty of the creature to the Creator. And where is this to be done? "In the congregations." Worship is not fundamentally an individualistic enterprise. We are saved as individuals, but we are saved into a body, a family, a congregation.
And who is this God we are to bless? He is identified as "Yahweh, the fountain of Israel." This is a beautiful and profound title. God is the source, the wellspring, from which the nation of Israel flows. Their entire existence, their identity, their life, is derived from Him. He is the fountainhead. This is covenant language. Israel is not a nation like other nations, born of ethnic happenstance or political maneuvering. They are a people who were called into being by the pure, unmerited grace of God. He is their fountain.
For us in the New Covenant, this is even more true. The Church is the true Israel of God, and our life flows from the fountain of living water, Jesus Christ. When we gather for worship, we are coming to the fountainhead to drink, to be refreshed, and to bless the one who is the source of our very life. All our blessings flow from Him, and so all our blessings should flow back to Him in praise.
The Muster of the Tribes (v. 27)
Finally, the psalmist gives us a roll call of the tribes participating in this grand assembly.
"There is Benjamin, the youngest, having dominion over them, The princes of Judah in their throng, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali." (Psalm 68:27)
This is not an exhaustive list, but a representative one, and the tribes mentioned are significant. First, we see "Benjamin, the youngest, having dominion over them." This is striking. Benjamin was the smallest tribe, the "little one." Yet here they are, leading the charge. This is a picture of the gospel principle that God chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong. It also likely points to the fact that Jerusalem, the sanctuary city, was located within the territory of Benjamin. And Saul, Israel's first king, was a Benjamite. Though small, they have a place of honor.
Next comes "the princes of Judah in their throng." Judah was the royal tribe, the tribe of David, and the tribe from which the Messiah would come. They are here in their "throng," their great company, representing the strength and leadership of the kingdom. The scepter belongs to Judah. Their presence signifies the royal authority of God's anointed king.
And then we have "the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali." These were northern tribes, from the region of Galilee. Their inclusion here is crucial. It shows that this is not just a southern, Judean affair. This is a united kingdom. All of Israel, from north to south, is gathered together in unified worship. This was a powerful statement of unity in a nation often plagued by division. It prefigures the great gathering of the Church from every tribe, tongue, and nation, united under one King.
Taken together, these four tribes represent the whole people of God. The small and the great, the royal and the common, the south and the north. They are all here, arrayed as an army, marching in the victory parade of their King. This is the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, displayed for all the world to see.
The Procession Continues
This psalm is not just a historical record of a parade that happened three thousand years ago. It is a prophetic picture of the Church of Jesus Christ. The procession of God did not end when the Ark was placed in the Temple. The procession of God culminated when Jesus Christ, our King, ascended on high, leading captivity captive.
When we gather for worship on the Lord's Day, we are joining that procession. By faith, we are marching into the heavenly sanctuary, the true Zion. The world is watching, whether they know it or not. The angelic powers are watching. And our God, our King, is in our midst.
Therefore, our worship must reflect this reality. It must be joyful, loud, and celebratory. We have singers, we have musicians, we have the whole congregation lifting their voices. We are blessing God, the fountain of our salvation. And we are a united people. In Christ, there is no Benjamin or Judah, no north or south, no Jew or Gentile, no slave or free, no male or female. We are one throng, one body, one army, following our victorious King.
This procession is marching through history, and it is destined to fill the whole earth. The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. Let us, therefore, take our place in the parade. Let us sing loudly, play skillfully, and bless the Lord in the congregation. For our King is on the move, and His enemies are being scattered.